Listen free for 30 days

  • Children of Blood and Bone

  • Written by: Tomi Adeyemi
  • Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
  • Length: 17 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (506 ratings)

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Children of Blood and Bone cover art

Children of Blood and Bone

Written by: Tomi Adeyemi
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $32.04

Buy Now for $32.04

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

Winner of the Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year

This program is narrated by acclaimed reader Bahni Turpin, whose past work includes The Hate U Give and The Underground Railroad

"Bahni Turpin's breathtaking narration of this exhilarating novel will keep listeners rooted to their seats, listening intently...an audiobook not to be missed." (AudioFile magazine, Earphones Award winner)

In Children of Blood and Bone, Tomi Adeyemi conjures a stunning world of dark magic and danger in her West African-inspired fantasy debut.

They killed my mother.

They took our magic.

They tried to bury us.

Now we rise.

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers - and her growing feelings for an enemy.

Praise for Children of Blood and Bone:

"[Narrator Bahni Turpin] excels at customizing her voice to capture the unique personalities of each character.... This excellent, refreshing performance of Adeyemi's exciting debut is recommended for all collections where fantasy is popular." (Booklist, starred review)

"One of the biggest young adult fiction debut book deals of the year. Aside from a compelling plot and a strong-willed heroine as the protagonist, the book deals with larger themes, like race and power, that are being discussed in real time." (Teen Vogue)

©2018 Tomi Adeyemi (P)2018 Macmillan Audio

What the critics say

"Bahni Turpin's breathtaking narration of this exhilarating novel will keep listeners rooted to their seats, listening intently.... Turpin's captivating narration, with incantations sung in Yoruba, intense battles, and lively, devastating dialogue, makes this an audiobook not to be missed." (AudioFile)

"[Narrator Bahni Turpin] excels at customizing her voice to capture the unique personalities of each character.... This excellent, refreshing performance of Adeyemi's exciting debut is recommended for all collections where fantasy is popular." (Booklist)

Editorial Review

The ruler wants them wiped out. They must suppress their true selves, or die in the face of conformity. Though the maji of Orïsha have been oppressed, stripped of power, and beaten down, something is brewing deep within. A growing force in the dark and quiet places, ready to make itself heard once more. The Children of Blood and Bone will be silenced no more.

In the fictional land of Orïsha, people are divided into the magical and the not. When an oppressive ruler sought to eradicate all traces of magic, the gifted maji quickly learned to suppress their magical abilities or die. Zélie Adebola’s mother was one of the gifted and unlucky ones. Since then, the king has found a way to switch off magical abilities within his kingdom. When a chance encounter between Zélie and Princess Amari offers a way to bring the magic back, the two find themselves on the run, with an epic quest ahead.

Tomi Adeyemi weaves a wondrous tale of magic and fantasy steeped in West African mythology and culture. A triumph in the young adult fantasy genre, Children of Blood and Bone is sure to take listeners of all ages by storm. The tale offers everything you could want from a fantasy story: excitement, magic, uprising, and adventure, paired with strong characters that pull at heartstrings and form bonds with the audience. And it’s narrated by the brilliant and prolific Bahni Turpin. Winner of the Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year, this listen is a true masterpiece.

Adeyemi has been praised not only for her literary and narrative skills, creating a deep and complex world for her characters and their adventures. She roots everything in a deep sense of history and knowledge that adds layers of meaning and subtext to her work. Parallels between the divided people and their skin colour highlight racial tensions and cultural unrest, while the rebellious spirit of Zélie and her supporters reference political uprising and social justice. Within a gripping work of fiction, Adeyemi powerfully highlights oppression and the different paths taken in the face of it. At once an enthralling tale of fantasy and magic and a platform for change, Children of Blood and Bone is a pause-resistant listen that will leave you thinking. Adeyemi continues the story in her sequel, Children of Virtue and Vengeance.

Featured Article: The Best Young Adult Audiobooks For Women Of All Ages


Many people equate "growing up" with "growing serious." But while interests may change over time, age does not have to be the deciding factor in what games you play, movies, or books you enjoy. Young adult novels are the perfect example of this. Though written with a teenage audience in mind, women of all ages are sure to enjoy the genre’s hallmarks: strong yet flawed characters, heartbreaking twists and turns, romance, and drama.

What listeners say about Children of Blood and Bone

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    350
  • 4 Stars
    93
  • 3 Stars
    46
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    7
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    356
  • 4 Stars
    62
  • 3 Stars
    27
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    319
  • 4 Stars
    75
  • 3 Stars
    42
  • 2 Stars
    11
  • 1 Stars
    8

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing!

Fantastic story. It evoked so many different emotions in me, such a powerful novel and the narrator really brought it to life and authenticated it with her beautiful accent. Amazing how she could create such distinctly different voices for both male and female characters. This novel complete with the riveting epilogue transported me to a higher level of consciousness each time I listened to it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Would recommend.

Great performance by the narrator. She's able to convey the emotion in the writing. It's a long book but your ears do not get fatigued from the performance.

Superb story by Tomi.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

CoBB

Great novel! enjoyed it the first time I read it and still enjoy it now. performance could have been a little better in some points but overall solid work 👍🏾

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I loved it

I really loved the characters narration and social justice message in this book. I eagerly await the next book in the series

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful Book

Stellar addition to my audiobook library. Fantasy turned on it’s head. The book deals with exposure to oppression the method of problem solving and so much more. I look forward to reading more.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Amazing Setting; Characters need some work

Really interesting setting and the magic works. Really interesting premise and it has some great moments.

Falls a little short with character consistency (with the exception of Amari), but a fairly good story and message.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyed!

This book was an emotional coaster connecting the listener to realities that are happening in our world today. So much so it was sometimes hard to continue, but I'm very glad I did.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Very good.

Darker overall than Harry Potter. But very well drawn world and characters. Was slow at times. But the moral dilemma that crept in the last third of the book made for an interesting internal conflict.

Bahni Turpin, the audio book narrator, was incredible!! She definitely helped to sell the world and characters with full-on African accents that were even differentiated by class. Even her male voices were well done! Will probably follow this series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

a hugely important book

a must read. it brought me to tears, made my heart lurch, raised butterflies in my stomach.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Say on the car and was late too often bc I could not stop listening!

I was captivated with the characters and the storyline. Such a good tale of adventure, majic and intrigue that I could not wait to have stolen listening moments, so I stole them myself!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!